Method of making containers for gas and the like.



E. E. SLIGK & J. H. NiCHOLSON.` METHOD oP MAKING CONTAINERS PoR GAS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7,1911.

(Patented JAA. 13,1914.

` 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

WITNESSES man..

E. E. SLIGK & J. H. NGHOLSON. METHOD 0E MAKING CONTAINERS EOE GAS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7, 1911.

Patented J an. 13, 1914.

'mm1 15.V

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

AMM@ WITNESSES -UMTED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

EDWIN E. SLICK AND JOHN H. NICHOLSON, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, .ASSIGN- ORS TO SHENANGO MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA,

A CORPORATION 0F PENNSYLVANIA.

Speccation of Letters vPatent.

Patented Jan. 13, 1914.

Application filed .Tune 7, 1911. SerialNo. 631,871.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWIN E. SLICK and JOHN I-I. NICHOLSON, both of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Method of Making Containers for Gas and the like, of which the following is a full, clear, andeXact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of 'a blank which we prefer to employ; Figs. 2 and 3 are partial longitudinal sections,'show ing successive steps in one form of our process; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section o-f the completed container resulting from such form of the process; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, showing a modified form of the container; and Figs. 6 and 7 are enlarged plan and side elevation'views, showing the p'eferred 'form of partition which we emp oy.

ur invention relates to the manufacture of gas containers, especially steel cylinders for storing acetylene gas, which may be ab.- sorbed by acetone or other absorbent and supplied to a cylinder containing porousor fibrous filling.

In the manufacture of such containers or cylinders as are extensively used at the present time, the body or cylindrical portions of the cylinder containing an integral bottom or end, is stamped or cupped up from a suitable circular plate or sheet. A molded filling of porous or fibrous material of required shape with stiff exterior is then vinserted into the open end cylinder and a suitable shaped shallow cupped head is brazed into the open end. In vsuch a method of manufacture great difficulty has been experienced in making tight the brazed joint between the insert-ed headv and the open end ortion of the cylinder shell. Qur invention 1s designed to overcome this difiiculty of leakage and at the same time provide a stronger and safer container. This is accomplished by making both heads of the container or cylinder integral with the sides without brazing, soldering, welding or other forming of lioints. If the container is made from a blank closed at one end, we close in` the side walls at the other end, after putting in the filler. If made from a blank open at bot-h endsth-en we form'both heads from the cylindrical portion or shell of the container. This closing in to form the integral end or ends is preferably carried out by a spinning operation, which consists in revolving at a high rate of speed an open end tube chucked in a suitable lathe or machine, and forcing inwardly the edges of the open end tube by a blunt nosed tool into a partially spherical shaped closure. vThe blank may be preheated to a chill red heat, and the heat templated that a tube open at both ends shall be used for the manufacture of this gas cylinder, the two integral ends being formed Ffrom the walls of the tube, we can, however,

use a blank with one integral end, which has been stamped up from a sheet or plate, similar to that heretofore described and now generally used with a'brazed or` soldered inserted end. After inserting the porous or fibrous filling in such a tube, we can spin in and close the open end, making' the closure integral wit-h the sides of the cylinder or tube. In Such a case it would be necessary to make some changes in the shapel or design of this .end to give proper protectlon to valve and gage. Our improved container therefore comprises a cylinder having both heads integral 'with the side walls and containing the ab sorbent filling, which of course is placed 1n the cylinder `before the ,final closing of the Open end.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 3, we show successive operations in one form of our process. Fig. 1 shows the steel blank consisting ,of a cylinder 2, having an integral head 3 at one end which may be formed by spinning or closing in an open end by. dies or may be formed by cupping a tube from a sheet or plate. In order to protect the pressure gage and the valve from injury, the head.- at one end of the cylinder is inset fjxafia the' sa@ waits( in this head, also, a`

"'"isrequired that t-he port-ions tapped for attachment of the pressure gage and outlet valve shall beof a certain depth to give the' and 3, we show a hydraulic press apparat-us, in which 4 is the plunger of a hydraulic press, having its forging end providedr with a central projection 5 and an outer annular project-ion 6, with an annular recess 7 between them. 8 is a hollow former of tubular shape which fits around a resistance core 9, preferably of steel. The head 3 being heated, is forged by the hydraulic plunger 4 into the form shown in Fig. 2. The blank thus formed is then taken into another press, the part-s 8 and 9 being removed, and the inner wall portion 10 is pressed out against the side wall by use of hydraulic plunger 11 and core 12 which fits the inside of the cylinder. The thickened annular portion 13 of theinsetintegral head 14 thus formed is of the proper -gage and valve.

`depth for the screw-threaded holes 15 and 16 to receive the pipe connections for the The lling material is then put =in through the open end of the cylinder; this material is usually in molded form of porous asbestos of proper form and length, which may be slid in through the open end of the receptacle and lls the space therein. The open end of the receptacle is then closed by spinning the material of the side walls inwardly, thus forming the integral closed head. During this spinning operation, the heat developed is found in actual practice to eifectually weld and close the central portion of the head as the portions of the side walls are spun inwardly. The spinning machine used for this purpose may be of the type described; and instead of spinning we may force the end of the cylinder, which is preferably heated in this case,

into a series of dies, which will force the material of the side walls inwardly and thus form the integral head. This head as formed in such operation will usually be of dome-shape, and it may then be flattened down to form a substantially fiat head, as shown at 17 in Fig. 4. This action causes this head to fit against the filling and avoid any unfilled spaces which are dangerous in this class of receptacles. Instead of a molded filling of asbestos, we prefer to divide up the space in the cylinder bya series of transversey partitions which are fixed against longitudinal movement in the cylinder. In the form shown in Figs. 4, 6 and 7, the partitions 18 are in the form of a straw-hat, the top and sides of the hat-body being slotted and pressed outwardly and inwardly, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, to provide holding tongs for the fibrous filling material. These partitions are pushed in endwise with` the .materiah i `such as dibrous? asbestos; .packed fteriit' with eachotherfaslshown, and serve to more eifectually prevent any sagging or displacement of the filling which isI vliable to leavea space sufficient-ly large to cause danger. If any slight space is formed in one of our compartments vitdoes notalfect another compartment, and vhenc'efformation o-f a large and dangerous yspace is avoided. In Fig. 5 we show another form of our improv-ed container, in which insteadY of insetting the integral head of t-he blank, as shown in the first figures, we form the portion 3 of the blank into a reduced bottle neck form, as sho-wn at 19, the integralnhead 20 of this neck being suiiiciently thick to give the requisite depth of hole for the threaded connection. To protect the pressure gage and valve in this form, we secure around the bottle neck a sleeve protect-or 21. This protector mayA be screw-threaded to the exterior of the neck, or secured thereto in any desirable way, its overhang being sutiicient to protect the attachment. The absorbent material is then filled in through the open end; and this end is then closed by a spinning or die-necking operation. s

The advantages of our invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art, since a container is provided which is seamless throughout, the heads being integral with the side walls, while at the same time the cylinder contains the absorbent or ylling material adapted to receive the absorbent for the acetylene gas. .v

The containers may be rapidly and cheaply made, and all liability to leakage at the joint with the separate head is avoided., The use of the partitionsreduces liability to a dangerous cavity, and these "partitions may be cheaply made and assembled with thepacking, they intertting with eachother inthe form shown. y t

Many changes may be made in the process and apparatus employed for the manufacture of the cylinders, the form of the vcontainer may be varied, and'other changes may be made without departing from our invention as defined in the appended claims'. f

The novel method of construction herein shown and described forms the.subject-malt-- ter of a divisionall application.A

We claim: n l. The herein described method of making a gas container, which consists ininserting a porous or fibrous fillingV into acylinder, tube or shell, having one closed end,'and then closing the open end by drawingin the end portion to form a -solid integral head and forcing said head inwardly" against the filling to compress it and eliminate void spaces therein; substantially as described.

2. The herein described method of making a gas container, which consists in inserting a porous or fibrous filling into a cylinder, tube or shell having one closed end, then closing the open end by spinning the end portion to form a solid integral head, and after the head is formed, forcibly deforming it 'inwardly against the filling; substantially as described.

3. The herein described method of making a gas container, which consists in inserting a porous or fibrous filling in a cylinder-tube or shell having an open end, closing the open end, and then insetting or deforming one end of the tube against the filling to compress it and eliminate void spaces therein; substantially as described.

4. The herein described method of making a gas container, Which consists in taking'a tube or shell andyelosing one end thereof by an integral portion of the tube or shell, then inserting a porous or brous filling through the open end of the tube or shell, then clos- ,ing said open end, and then insetting or deforming'one end of the tube against the filling to thereby eliminate void spaces therein; substantially as described.

5. In the manufacture of gas containers, the improvement consists in taking a tube or shell, forming an inset head from one end portion of said tube or shell, then inserting porous filling into the tube or shell through its open end, then closing said open end, and

finally pressing or deforming one of the closed ends to eliminate void ,spaces Within the tube or shell; substantially as described. ln testimony whereof, We have hereunto set our hands.

EDWIN E. SLICK.

JUHN H. NICHOLSON. Witnesses:

GEO. B. BLEMmG, H. M. CORWIN. 

